It is known to make a washing machine for objects that comprises a washing chamber in which the objects to be washed are disposed, one or more tanks of chemical detergents and an inlet path for the liquid, generally water, which is mixed with the chemical detergents.
A hydraulic circuit is provided in the washing chamber, with nozzles suitable to distribute the washing liquid toward the objects. The chamber is hydraulically connected, by means of a discharge valve, with an outlet tank located on the bottom; the outlet tank is in turn directly connected with a sewerage system, suitable to receive the discharged washing liquid.
One disadvantage of the known machine is that the discharge capacity of the discharge valve used makes it necessary to have the outlet tank functioning as a store for the washing liquid to be discharged, so as to adapt to possible limited capacities of the sewerage system.
Another disadvantage of the known washing machine is the great waste at least of washing liquid, due to its being discharged directly into the sewerage system.
Document WO-A-20005/083168 describes a washing machine for textile articles of a known type, which comprises a double washing chamber, of which a rotary internal chamber and a fixed external chamber, and a washing circuit to distribute a washing liquid with a lipophilic base on the textile articles to be treated in the washing chamber. On the bottom of the external chamber there is an exit pipe for the washing liquid, downstream of which the following are disposed in series: a three-way valve, a pump with a maximum delivery rate of 11.356 liters (3 gallons) per minute, a filter and a recovery tank that accumulates a certain quantity of liquid to separate the fluids by means of gravity and difference in density between them, and which provides a sensor for the level of the volume of liquid in the tank to determine when to start emptying the tank. Downstream of the recovery tank there is a pump with a maximum delivery rate of 2.8 liters per minute which leads to a two-way valve, which in a first position allows to discharge into the sewerage network, or into a dedicated container, and in a second position connects the outlet of the pump with a system to recover the fluids.
One purpose of the present invention is to obtain a washing machine which is simple and economical to construct, which is not bulky and whose effectiveness is independent of the sewerage network to which it is hydraulically connected.
Another purpose is to obtain savings in the use of the quantity of water and consequently of the chemical detergents, reducing the economic and environmental impact thereof.
Another purpose is to obtain a washing machine which has good energy efficiency, allowing to recover at least part of the heat used in the various steps of the washing cycle.
Another purpose is to obtain a machine that performs a complete washing cycle in the shortest possible time, pre-heating the necessary fluids and shortening the filling and discharge times.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.